Working it Out takes a Slap in the Face
by thinkmusic13
Summary: They say people are in your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. What Pogue didn't know was that some people manage to fit into more than one of those categories. He always was bad with surprises. Pogue/OC
1. Fights and Fran's

Hey all! This is a new sotry I decided to post because it's been flitting around in my head for a while. Those of you who read my other story, Wanting Air, don't worry because I haven't given up on it. I just have to figure out how to progress and get the plot to where I want it. Reviews and critiques are welcome, and thank you for reading my story.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Covenant or Phantom of the Opera. I know...I'm surprised too.

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May 27, 2007: Junior Year

"_You're what?!"_

" _I'm leaving."_

_Pogue Parry ran a gloved hand through his hair. This was not happening._

"_You're serious? You're just going to go?"_

_He watched as the girl in front of him sighed in frustration. Her auburn hair blew as the chill spring wind hit their faces. Piercing gray eyes slid over his hazel ones, a raised eyebrow quirked to accompany her soon-coming acerbic response. He could practically see it in her frustrated face, the comment dying to fall from her pretty lips. __**"Stop pushing."**__ But he was Pogue Parry. One of the favored Sons of Ipswich. He didn't back down. So he was going to shove as hard as he could and as much as he had to, just to push her damn buttons and push her back into staying._

" _I'm not 'just' doing anything, Pogue," she shot back. "I told you I'd move if I got the offer. Do you know how hard it is to get an internship with a Broadway play? They take maybe three people every five years. I can't pass this up." There was a note of echoing finality in the period. Discussion over, argument over. She won. He, on the other hand, could stick his arguments where the goddamn sun don't shine._

_Pogue scoffed, crossing his arms. This was far from freakin' over. He couldn't believe she was doing this. It was selfish. Unfair seemed like a good word too. She had always done what she needed to do for herself, but this was insane. New York? That was definitely not Ipswich and not where he wanted her to be._

"_So what?" he said, his voice heated. "You're just gonna be pushing papers until some talent guy gives you a chance?"_

"_No."_

"_Then what?"_

"_I'll be observing. Learning. That's what you do during internships."_

_Pogue's eyes narrowed at her tone. She was being condescending and snarky. He could figuratively hear the claws come out, as well as the "dumbass" that she had implied but didn't say. What the hell was she mad for? He was the one with the right to be angry. She was the one driving off into the damned sunset following after a long shot._

"_And where are you gonna stay? You're barely seventeen--"_

"_What are you? Seven months older--"_

"_--and you can't buy a freakin' apartment. What are you gonna do? Crash with some guy?"_

_She huffed, eyes flashing. Oooh, how she wanted to say yes just to piss him off. She could not believe he was being such a drama queen about it._

"_My parents, Parry." She snapped. "They've paid for an apartment."_

_Shocked, Pogue stopped looking angry. His eyebrows, formerly furrowed, evened out and he shifted his weight from one leg to the other, surprised._

"_Your parents are letting you go?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Without a fight?"_

_Another huff._

"_Yes, they love me. They want what's best for my future."_

"_What? And I don't?"_

"_No. You want what's best for your present."_

_Pogue's ire rushed back into his body. His stance became defensive as his hands clenched into fists, the leather of the riding gloves stretching. His eyes flashed, she saw, not with anger but something else. She swore there was a glimmer of something other than the usual hazel. Black maybe? She brushed it off as Pogue yelled._

"_You're the one who's been weird these past couple of weeks! It's like you've been afraid of me or something!" _

"_I didn't know how to tell you about the internship. I was trying to keep you from freaking out on me," she retorted, vexed. She gestured wildly at him before muttering sarcastically under her breath. "Behold my success." _

_Pogue balked, his seemingly back to normal (though still irate) eyes widening._

"_You just throw this at me and think I'm gonna be cool with it?"_

"_You're throwing a full scale bitch fit on the sidewalk. That qualifies as over-reacting!"_

_He shook his head, backing towards his bike. The paint on the Ducati gleamed in the glow of the streetlamps, as if on fire._

"_Screw this, Leah," he threw at her. His words were like knives. "Do whatever. I'm outta here."_

_Then he threw a leg forcefully over his bike and the machine tore down the street accompanied by a ripping sound Pogue wasn't too sure came from the vehicle as opposed to the beating organ in his chest. In less than five seconds, he had jetted off angrily into the night._

"_Damn," Leah half shouted. She ran her hands over her hair. She was...angry? Sad? Ugh. Both sounded good. But she determined not to cry. If she cried, that meant he won and that he had a point. And he didn't have a point, she told herself. She was completely and totally in the right. It was her life and her career, and if he couldn't face the facts of her job choice, then maybe it was best they ended their relationship. There was, after all, a saying about standing the heat in the kitchen that pertained quite well to the issue._

"_Damn," Leah muttered. "How am I going to get home?" she pulled out a sleek black phone out of her purse. "Kate? Yeah. Can you come pick me up?" _

* * *

**January 3, 2013**

"New Years is over," Reid Garwin pouted, sinking down onto the plush couch of a suite in the Ritz Carlton. "What parties am I going to go to now?"

"Regular ones," sighed Tyler Simms, looking up from his phone. "The guys are on their way up. Get your coat."

Reid rolled his eyes and didn't move.

"Yes, mother."

Shaking his head, Tyler rose and walked to into his room. The sound of drawers opening and shutting punctuated the gunshots coming from the television Reid was watching.

"I hate this movie," Reid mumbled, raising an eyebrow as Danny Glover delivered his famous _Lethal Weapon_ line. "They made too many."

"Then stop watching," Tyler answered, walking back into the room. He was holding a gold wrapped box in his hands, a sparkled bow on top. "Where's your gift for Pogue and Kate?"

Reid turned off the TV and pushed himself off the couch. He shook his blond bangs out of his face and scoffed, his eyes holding an emotion that Tyler couldn't place.

"Just 'cause Pogue and the trophy girl," he sneered the nickname, "are taking the plunge, it doesn't mean I have to celebrate."

"That's just because you don't like her even though she's never done anything to you. Besdieds, she's nice…ish."

"Yeah," Reid said, voice slightly hard. Tyler could tell he was trying not to get overly angry; even though it had been a while since his Ascension, Reid still had a little trouble reigning in his powers if he got too angry. But Tyler couldn't fathom what about Kate had Reid so incensed. Before he could ask, like he had many times before, Reid continued, the blonde's voice not as icy, but still sounding irked. " Nice-ish isn't enough if he's going to be her slave for the rest of his life."

Reid walked over to the closet and grabbed his scarf and jacket. "Designer Dingy" was how Caleb's girlfriend Sarah described his winter wear. It was, as Reid often rebutted, "just seriously but expertly worn looking," and he had no clue how it kept him warm, but it did. He only barely felt the New York freeze.

**Knock knock.**

"Baby Boy, they're here."

"Then get the door. You're right there."

Reid groaned and threw the door open before promptly turning his back on the arrived couples.

"Come in or whatever."

Caleb entered first, always the leader. Sarah was snuggled into his side, her blonde hair damp from snow. Kate followed, long ebony hair pressed to her neck by a gray D&G scarf and the ivory wool coat she wore that matched her leather gloves. She was, per usual, decked out in all the season's trends like a model, right down to her stiletto boots. Pogue came last, leaning coolly against the doorframe in his leather jacket and black scarf. His jeans covered the tops of boots that, unlike his fiancée's, were not a fashion statement. One dangerous looking motorcycle boot crossed the other as Pogue crossed his arms.

"We ready to go?"

"Whose night is it to pick where we're eating?" Reid inquired. "Mine, I'm sure."

"Nope, mine" Sarah declared, smiling. "And I've picked a place where even your hobo-chic will be acceptable."

* * *

After catching a cab to a trendy part of the NYC, the group stepped into a restaurant named Fran's. It was a funky bohemian place with a variety of background music and great food. The walls were either a light magenta with gold-sponge designs over it or a solid ethereal ivory with the same designs. The hanging lamps were bright colors—orange, blue, green--and the tables were either wooden pieces that looked like they belonged in someone's kitchen, diner-esque booths, or sleek black bar furniture. It was a tornado of styles thrown into a spacious room, but it worked. As the group walked in, the speakers were playing Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" under all the chatter.

"This song is so old," Reid complained for lack of something to do.

"So circa 2007" Kate added.

"No one asked you," Reid bluntly told Kate, but she wasn't paying attention. She was too busy flipping her black tresses like a superstar. Reid looked at her, then at Pogue, and didn't even try to conceal his expression of disgust from his brother. Pogue opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, he was interrupted.

"How many?" the hostess asked, having come up to the group. The voice was lilting, the owner sounding like an eternal dreamer.

The group blinked in surprise. The hostess was only a kid. She looked to be eleven, maybe twelve. Her stick straight red hair accentuated a pale face with green eyes and a Cupid's bow mouth.

"Six please."

The girl grabbed the appropriate number of menus, which were multicolored and creatively decorated. Without a word, she turned around and bounced off lightly with no more than a subtle head flick in the direction they were going. Weaving in between packed tables with trancelike grace, the girl reached a table in a sort of room-in-a-room that already held one decent sized party.

"Your server will be here soon," she said. Before leaving however, she stopped at the other party's table. Looking day dreamingly thrilled, she hugged a woman who's back was turned to the Son's table. Her long hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail. Dressed in stylish gray pants and a puff-sleeved blouse, she had the aura of an old movie star. She laughed as the red-haired girl clung to her.

"What's up, Kennedy? You seem strangely enthusiastic to see us today."

Kennedy shook her head, scarlet hair swishing with the slight movement.

"Not everyone. Just you, Dee."

"Ouch," a man at the table commented. His face was arranged into a comically pained expression, hazel eyes dancing with mischief. "Methinks I feel an arrow pierce mine heart."

Laughs came from around the table as the man was playfully hit on the arm by Dee and given a tiny and genuinely impish smile by Kennedy. Dee rolled her stunning eyes in good humor.

" You're a constant drama king, Oliver."

Oliver smiled, raising his chin and puffing out his chest.

"Well, I am an actor on the legitimate stage."

"Besides Ollie," Kennedy said calmly, "I still love you."

"Thanks, Strawberry."

Kennedy giggled, the sound light and tinkling.

"So doll," Dee asked. "What's the excitement?"

" I got that gift for Jam. Y'know, the one he was looking at in the vintage store, but you told him he had to wait to get it."

Smiling, Dee hugged the girl. The Sons noticed that these people seemed very close, like a makeshift family. Caleb wondered idly if this was how their group looked to others. Reid hoped they didn't look as Gap-commercial like.

"He'll be so excited. He's been eyeing that shark's tooth necklace forever. I tried to tell him that no one wears them much anymore, hence it being in a vintage store, but you know James."

"Is he here?" Dee nodded. "Can I give it to him now?"

"Sure. He should be back soon. He went into the back to bug Denton for one of his imported melons. You know how James loves melons."

The table laughed.

_Melons?_ Pogue thought with a chuckle. _Kid's definitely different._

"I love Jam," Oliver said, stretching back. "He's a cute kid. Smart as an encyclopedia, that one."

Dee smiled sadly. "Yeah, well, he does have so much free time. I'm always at the theatre. Sometimes I worry that I don't take proper care of him."

A chorus of disbelieving sounds came from her companions.

"Rubbish," Oliver assured her. "He gets loving attention as well as his fruits and veggies. That's all a kid can ask for."

CRASH!

Both tables in the room whipped around towards the sound. A very startled waitress and a small boy were lying on the floor, covered in spaghetti and various drink products after presumably colliding. Dee rose out of her seat and walked over to the child, kneeling beside him and calmly checking him for injuries, her back still turned to the Sons. The little boy, after looking surprised, burst out into giggles, shocking the room. His dark hair covered his face as he bent over in laughter.

"Look Mommy! I saved my melon!" He held it out like a trophy before hugging it to his chest like one would a teddy bear. " And it's perfect! The exact volume and circumference of the other ones I got. And it didn't even get any noodles on it!" Overcome by the hilarity of the situation, the boy broke into fresh peals of laughter.

Dee smiled.

"So it seems once again my son has not only inherited my awful coordination, but my odd sense of humor as well." Shaking her head, she grabbed some napkins off the table and wiped James' face. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

James nodded and straightened up, pushing himself off the floor but still very protective of the melon.

"Yes Mommy." He turned to the waitress who was still on the floor. "Sorry, ma'am. I shouldn't have been running into you. I'd help you up, but my hands are too tiny."

Everyone in the room laughed. Sarah aww'ed. Suddenly, a beeping was heard. Dee jumped a little at the sound before reaching into her purse and pulling out her phone. After looking at the time, she slipped her phone in her pocket and picked up the little boy.

"It's time to go, guys. We need to go get ready for the show."

As all the occupants of the table rose and gathered their things, Oliver laughed.

"Yes. It would be rather tacky if the star of the show was late."

Kennedy, who had been helping pick up the spilled mess, nodded with a pixie-ish grin and slipped the neckalce into Dee's hand.

"Especially since it happens to be _The Phantom of the Opera_, the most popular play on Broadway."

Sarah gasped. Caleb's head turned to her in concern.

"What's wrong?"

Sarah shook her head, her eyes not leaving Dee.

"That's…that's…"

"Who?" Caleb asked, looking from his girlfriend to the woman across the room.

"The best actress on Broadway. Her na...Oh! She's leaving! I have to go say something to her. She's amazing." Sarah jumped up without any further warning and quickly walked over to the actress who was now leaving the shop, the little boy in her arms. The blonde, who hoped she didn't come across as a manic fan, tapped the woman on the shoulder. Dee turned around, curious, and smiled modestly at Sarah after listening to her.

"What's the big deal?" Kate asked. "Why did Sarah run up to that woman like some sort of drama nerd?"

"Didn't you hear?" Reid drawled, his negative opinion of Kate's intelligence obvious. He was looking down at his cell phone, aimlessly scrolling through the contacts. "The woman's famous actress. That means she's well liked. Like you've been deceived you are."

"Can it, Reid." Pogue growled, finally geting a chance to respond to Reid's previous glare. If nothing else, Pogue was fiercely loyal to Kate.

"Or what?" Reid challenged, trying to look bored and still focused on his phone. Only Tyler saw that his friend's blue eyes glinted like deadly icicles.

"Or I'll kick your ass."

Before Reid, could snort in disbelief, Kate cut in smoothly, running a perfect hand over Pogue's arm and up to his bicep.

"It's okay, baby." She reassured him, her voice saccharinely sweet. "Reid's just upset because we're getting married and you won't have as much time to play Hotwheels with him anymore."

Reid jerked his head up to look at the mocha-skinned beauty, who looked to him like the Devil in skinny jeans. His pale, slender fingers almost grabbed the tablecloth in anger. It was not Kate's place to mock the hobby Reid and Pogue had recently started participating in.

In an effort to bond in a way that wouldn't involve near-death experiences or pouring their hearts out like wusses, Reid and Pogue had begun to car race each other whenever they hung out. And yeah, Reid admitted that it wasn't the most mature activity in the world, but it was fun and undoubtedly masculine and it served the bonding purpose. Reid rather thought that Kate, with all of her oh-so-adult activities like mani-pedi night, had no room to talk.

"Shove it Trophy-bitch."

Before anyone could say anything else, Caleb rolled his eyes and stopped the argument. He had no clue where the animosity between Reid and Kate had come from and at the moment he didn't want to find out. Although, if he remembered correctly, Reid hadn't been this hostile to Kate in the beginning.

"Stop," he ordered, his deep voice quiet but serious. "Let it go." With that said, he turned his attention to the less stressful blonde in his life. Sarah was still amicably chatting with the woman at the door.

The two talked for a few minutes, Sarah getting visibly excited, before Dee walked out, giving Sarah a wave and a genuine smile. Sarah rushed over to the table, a wide grin on her pretty face.

"Guess what? She invited us to the show tomorrow!"

Blank stares met her all around until Tyler managed to make a sound of confusion. Sarah rolled her eyes, but the pleasant expression never left her face.

" She invited us to go see _Phantom of the Opera_ tomorrow night. She's going to have tickets for us waiting at will-call and she told us to come backstage after the show!" Sarah sat back down in her seat with a dreamy expression on her face. "This is like getting to meet a rock star."

Reid scoffed.

"Except considerably less cool and entertaining. I mean, c'mon Sarah. The rest of us have no clue who she is."

"That's true." Tyler nodded. "We didn't even get a look at her face."

Sarah sighed like the boys were missing something vitally important.

"Like that even matters when you have the chance to meet acting royalty." She turned to her boyfriend, smiling at him sweetly. "Please go?" She asked. "I'll love you forever."

Caleb laughed and nodded his head. "Like you weren't going to already?"

Sarah patted his arm before turning to look for a server.

"Minor details."

* * *

The next night, the group dressed in their formal wear and set off to the theatre. Sarah had looked disapprovingly at Reid's fingerless gloves, since tonight of all nights was not the time to suddenly wear them again, but he had just shrugged and said wearing them felt right.

After getting their tickets, they settled into their seats, which Sarah was pleased to see were amazing Orchestra seats with a fantastic view of the stage.

"How'd we get such good tickets?" Tyler questioned.

"She said the critics who were supposed to sit here came for an earlier show, so these seats were empty and needed to be filled. Since I wanted to come see the show and had a large group of friends, I volunteered us to help solve the dilemma."

"Lucky us," Pogue grumbled. Sighing, he tried to relax and not pull at the tie he was wearing. He just…didn't like plays. Caleb noticed Pogue's anxiety and was about to say something, but the lights of the theatre flickered and dimmed. The opening announcements were read, and the play began.

Surprisingly, the group, even Pogue, was enjoying themselves. The chandelier crash was an effect that had them all in awe, and Reid had to admit the music wasn't horrible. So their eyes were fixed in interest on the stage when the lead actress began her first line with practiced professional skill. And at that moment, the Sons of Ipswich, plus Kate, collectively gasped in shock as they saw whom it was. Four pairs of eyes flickered to Pogue as he stared dumbstruck at the woman in the spotlight. And none of them dared breathe as Leah Delilah Montgomery Grace, "Dee" to her cast members, gracefully commanded the audience's attention.

Pogue wanted to slide down in his seat and sink to the floor as he averted his eyes from his actress ex-girlfriend. Only one thought ran through his mind.

_Holy shit. I knew there was a reason I hated plays._


	2. Oh, What a Night

Hello to all. Thank you for the great reviews for the previous chapter. Here's some more drama for you, Covenant style. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER; I don't own the Covenant or Broadway.

* * *

At intermission, no one was in a bigger hurry to vacate their seats than the Sons, Kate, and Sarah, who was more than a little

At intermission, no one was in a bigger hurry to vacate their seats than the Sons, Kate, and Sarah, who was more than a little confused by the frantic actions of her friends. Almost running to the theater lobby, the group silently found a vacated and slightly hidden corner in which to talk, or more accurately, yell-whisper about what they just found out.

"Oh my God," Kate moaned when they got there. "Oh my _God_."

The boys looked to be experiencing the same feeling, but only Reid, surprisingly, said anything.

"Damn straight."

"What's going on?" Sarah asked, her eyes flicking from one person to another before resting on Caleb. "Why are you all so weird about this?"

Caleb looked at Pogue and Kate before opening is mouth.

"She's a friend of ours."

Sarah shook her head, the blond curls that escaped from her elegant bun swaying.

"Try again. You guys looked entirely too much like someone punched you in the stomach for it to just be a 'friend.' And I never saw her around Spenser."

Pogue sighed and leaned heavily against the wall. One of his large hands ran through his hair as he clarified.

"She's my ex-girlfriend," he told Sarah, looking down at the floor. "All of us guys met her in fifth grade, when she ended up in a reading group with us, and we became friends. Leah and I started dating in eighth grade, and we went out until she left junior year."

Sarah nodded, but still tilted her head in confusion.

"Okay, but why the extreme reaction to seeing her again? That was a long time ago. Why is it such a huge deal?"

"We kind of haven't spoken to her since," Tyler answered, looking guilty. "She and Pogue didn't end things well--"

"Understatement of the year," Kate muttered.

"--and we all kind of lost touch with her. Pogue was pretty quiet about the details of what happened." He shot a look at the longhaired man.

Reid looked down as his hands, keeping quiet while his feelings were in a whirl. He felt insanely upset. He was always a little more like her brother than Tyler and Caleb were.

"I was her best friend," Kate said softly. " We were really close. Always going out shopping and stuff when she wasn't caught up doing theater. I, um, picked her up that night after she fought with Pogue and talked to her for a bit."

Pogue looked up in surprise.

"You never told me that."

Kate shrugged slightly, seeming subtly nonchalant.

"Well, I hate to be cliché but you never asked."

Pogue wasn't sure what to say to that. He did, however, feel slightly ticked off.

"So that was it?' Sarah said a little disapprovingly. "Well, you've got bigger issues now than what happened before."

Caleb looked at her, his raised eyebrows showing his confusion.

"What do you mean?"

It was Sarah's turn to raise her eyebrows. She couldn't believe her friends were really that dense.

"Didn't you see the little boy she was carrying in the restaurant?"

"Yeah, so?' Tyler asked, still not comprehending.

"It means Pogue's a dad, dumbass." Reid said, his voice harsh but quiet. "And Leah's been a single mom all these years."

Pogue's eyes widened as Kate jerked as though she'd been stabbed. This was not what the engaged couple needed to hear. Caleb looked at Pogue then closed his eyes and sighed before addressing the group.

"Not only that, but she gave birth to Pogue's first-born. And it's a boy."

Pogue slumped to the floor. This was too much.

"So when he turns thirteen he'll have the power," he said, voicing what everyone was thinking. "Which means I definitely have to tell her about the Covenant."

"You can only tell your wife," Kate said shrilly, her brown eyes wide. There was no way her relationship with her fiancée was going to be cheapened because Leah happened to entitle herself to Pogue's secrets by way of a child. " And you don't even know if it's your kid!"

Reid scoffed, blue eyes shrewdly trained on Kate.

"You wish. It's most likely his kid. The boy's the right age and I seriously doubt she was serious enough about someone else during her time here; she was working to be a full-time actress. So don't even think about talking him into shirking his duties."

"Hey!" Pogue said, his voice firm. "If it's my kid, then I'll do what I'm supposed to do. I'm not some deadbeat dad who won't acknowledge his child, regardless of my engagement or anything else."

Suddenly, the lights flickered, signaling the approaching end of intermission. Taking note of this, Caleb sighed for the umpteenth time and ran a hand over his face. Why couldn't things just run smoothly?

"Look guys, we're not going to be able to find anything out until after the show when we see her. So lets just go in and watch the rest of the performance, alright?"

Everyone nodded, and Caleb and Sarah walked towards the theatre doors, arm in arm. Pogue and Kate followed right after, though Pogue's hands were deep in his pockets as he thought about what he just learned. Tyler and Reid hung back and watched the latter two of their friends.

"Leah doesn't know about Pogue and Kate," Tyler said, sounding worried.

"Not exactly," Reid said, his stare a more negative than his friend's. "And things are really bound to get fucked up."

* * *

The play came to a close with Sarah being the only one who was wrapped up in the story. Everyone else just stared at Leah with varying emotions ranging from trepidation to disbelief. This time, the group was slower getting out of their chairs.

"We should go backstage now." Caleb said, ready to get some facts. He was just as nervous to see his friend as everyone else, but several years as the Covenant's leader had taught him to be the one who at least looked calm

"Yeah," said Pogue shakily. "Let's go man."

The group, after much searching, found the backstage door. After explaining to a rather non-threatening security guard who they were and what they were doing, they were allowed backstage and given instructions to wait in Room 6A for Leah. They had only been in the room a few minutes when a dark-haired little boy came running in, a curious look on his face.

'You must be Mommy's guests,' he said matter-of-factly. "I'm James. I'm not sure if it's a pleasure to meet you yet, 'cause I haven't talked to you." He held out his hand to the group, looking at them with wide questioning eyes as if her were asking who they were.

Everyone in the group was too dumbstruck to answer. They were staring at the little boy like he was a figment of their imagination. He was cute, they all noticed, with slightly curly brown hair, and swirled color eyes. A mix of gray and maybe Pogue's hazel? There were too many colors to tell. Sarah snapped out of her observations first and introduced herself.

"Hi James," she said in her regular voice. She didn't think she should use the typical 'baby voice" on a child who was clearly intelligent beyond his years. "I'm Sarah Wenham. I talked to your mom yesterday at the restaurant."

James nodded, looking right into her eyes in that earnest way only children can.

"Mm-hm. I remember. You wore navy-blue jeans that had a little rip on the right leg and a magenta turtleneck that had a tiny ink heart on the left shoulder. Mommy said you were very nice."

"Thank you," Sarah responded, smiling. She was surprised that he had such a detailed memory.

"You're welcome." James turned to Pogue. "Who are you?"

"I--"

But he was saved from answering because at that moment, Leah walked through the door. She was wearing a black high-waisted skirt that stopped a little above her knees and pretty three-inch heels of the same color. Her classy red shirt accentuated her flowing auburn hair and captivating eyes. Pogue felt his heart stutter a little as he looked at her.

"Jam," she chastised, her eyes only on the little boy. "Didn't I ask you to wait for me?"

James didn't even look ashamed. He just furrowed his eyebrows as if confused as to what he did wrong and ran his new shark tooth along the string it was on.

"Yes, but I really wanted to see who was here."

Leah almost smiled at her son's reaction, but held it in so she could teach her lesson. "Nevertheless, you have to listen to what I say. Got it, kiddo?"

"Yes."

"Good," she smiling and gave James a quick hug. "Now let's see who's here." She turned to the other occupants of the room and her eyes widened.

"You guys…"she said, her voice surprised. Caleb was shocked to find no undertone of some other emotion. "Well, you're not who I was expecting to see."

Sarah laughed a little and shrugged.

"It seems like we have mutual friends."

"Yes, it seems we do," Leah said. Her eyes roamed from person to person, stopping a little longer on Kate and even longer on Pogue, but finally resting on Reid. She smiled, an eyebrow quirking in amusement.

"It's nice to see you still have the gloves I gave you."

Reid smirked and looked at his hands.

"Yeah, well, for some reason I felt like tonight was the time to take them out of retirement."

Leah looked mock offended, moving menacingly toward him.

"You mean to say that the gift I so painstakingly picked out for you has been sitting on a shelf gathering dust?"

"Come on Leah," Reid said, teasing in his voice. "You know any respectable adult looking for satisfactory employment can't go around with these on."

"And you're a respectable adult?"

"You're funny."

"Aren't I always?"

The two smiled at each other for another moment before Leah hugged him tightly, smiling.

"Missed you," she told Reid.

"Right back at'cha."

She pulled away and looked at Tyler.

"Well, well Baby Boy. You've certainly outgrown your nickname."

He shrugged modestly.

"Thanks. College swim team does a body good."

Leah laughed, her eyes lighting.

"Come here, you." She gave Tyler a hug as well and patted his shoulder affectionately as she pulled away.

"You doing well?" she asked

He smiled, hands in his pockets. He was the perfect picture of the aww-shucks sentiment.

"The best."

Leah tilted her head in question.

"Hmm…do I detect a hint of love in your life, Tyler?"

Now Tyler was blushing and rocking on his heels slightly. The former composure was gone, replaced by embarrassment and a quick furtive glance at Pogue and Kate.

"Uh…just a crush on the girl at the coffee shop. Nothing serious."

Leah laughed at his discomfort, though she didn't miss where Tyler's eyes had been directed. Choosing not to comment on that detail, she turned to Caleb.

"Mr. Danvers. How nice it is to see you."

Her voice held an upper crust sounding accent as she stared at the man in front of her. Caleb cracked a small smile, his eyes soft. He was still happy to see her despite the issues he was soon going to have to bring up.

"You too Ms. Grace," he replied, though in his regular voice, hugging her quickly. He watched as she moved her eyes between him and Sarah, and he was suddenly apprehensive. He had no clue what she was going to say

"I'm glad you've found such a great girlfriend," Leah said sincerely. "You deserve to be happy." She paused for a second before continuing. "You always were a little melancholy, but you seem to be more…content now. That's good." She turned to Sarah and gave her a hug, almost like they were old friends. "Thank you," she told the blonde. Sarah could only nod in response.

Then, taking a deep breath, she turned to Kate and Pogue.

"So, congratulations you two. When's the wedding?"

To say they looked shocked would have been a gross understatement. Kate's eyes were wide as flying saucers and Pogue opened and closed his mouth a few times before answering.

"Uh, we haven't set a date. How did you know we were engaged?"

"The ring on Kate's finger was hard to miss. Nice job on picking it, by the way. Specially cut and made on request?" Pogue nodded. "I thought so. It looks gorgeous."

Not sure how he should take that, Pogue nodded.

"Thanks."

"You look good."

"Thanks again. You too."

Leah laughed lightly.

"Being a highly-praised actress on Broadway kind of pushes one to stay in shape. If not for their health, well then, for the sake of appearances."

Kate still hadn't said anything, but was now looking from Leah to Pogue with slight jealousy. She felt like Leah was ignoring her and focusing too much on Pogue. That was not a good sign.

"It's nice too see you again Leah," she said, composing her face into the smile of one who's just found their long-lost friend.

"You too, Kate." Leah said. Her smile was not as big as Kate's, merely a simple upturn of the corners of her mouth. Kate moved forward and gave her a tight hug, the mocha-skinned girl's crimson dress catching the light.

"We must have known we were going to see each other again," Kate continued. She giggled a little too brightly. "We match a bit."

Reid rolled his eyes at Kate's fake behavior. Yeah, he could get why Kate was nervous. She was engaged to her best friend's ex-boyfriend, who said friend not only used to be in love with, but also had unresolved issues with. Reid didn't know much about female friendships, but he was pretty sure Kate had broken a girl rule.

Leah didn't appear to notice Kate's exaggerated joy, but instead nodded with a noise of affirmation before turning to her son, who had waited silently, albeit impatiently, while his mother said her hellos.

"This is my son James," she said, smiling. "He's, well, my own personal light in the darkness."

"Hello!" James chirped, waving a tiny hand. "What are your names?" He looked from person to person much like his mother had, an expression of barely contained curiosity etched on his face. "Except you, Ms. Sarah," he added. " 'Cause I already met you."

While everyone introduced themselves, James listened to and observed each person. Being the observant little boy he was, he picked up on a lot of things. Reid was funny, he noticed, and confident. Tyler was nice, like Sarah, and Caleb seemed very responsible. He could see what his mommy meant when she said Caleb used to be really serious. Pogue and Kate seemed all right, but James felt like he was missing something. Everyone was nervous around him, but Pogue was staring at him really hard and Kate was extra-fidgety. James thought people only got that ants-in-their-pants-y when they had to go to the bathroom.

"The bathroom is right down the hall," James said to Kate, pointing a small finger towards the door. His young face held complete innocence as he unknowingly embarrassed the woman. As a light blush started to rise on Kate's cheeks, Leah bit back a smile and looked down at her son.

"Why don't you go find Oliver, sweetie, and get ready to go?"

"I can't stay?"

Leah laughed at his pleading tone. "No. I'm sure you'll see these guys later though, so go get your coat."

With a bright bye to the group, and a perplexed look at Kate, James scampered out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"He's a cute kid," Caleb commented.

"The cutest," Leah said, looking affectionately in the direction her son had exited.

"But we have a question to ask you."

The slight pause that Leah took while turning around to face the group showed that she knew the question.

"Oh?" she said inquisitively

"Is he my son?" Pogue asked abruptly, his voice soft. "Is…is James my child?"

"No," Leah said, her eyes looking unwaveringly into his. "He's not."

Kate visibly relaxed, a small smile setting on her face. She was not ready to push her wedding back, let alone ready to be a stepmother. It wasn't as if she had dreamed of being a stepmother in the first place. Reid noticed her reaction and wanted to strangle her.

Pogue's expression was hard to decipher. There wasn't really any joy or relief, just confusion and maybe a little hurt. Some jealousy too, perhaps.

"Who's the father?" he inquired, his voice still quiet.

Leah looked at him, and him only. She was making it a private moment, even if there were others present.

"A guy I slept with by accident a few weeks after I got here," she told him. "I went out with some friends and got caught up in the excitement. He didn't use a condom." She looked down. "A classic story, I guess."

"What's his name?"

A beat of silence.

"Adam."

Pogue nodded, his eyes on the floor. After taking a breath, he looked up at Leah with a small smile on his face.

"At least you got a kick-ass kid out of the deal."

"There is that."

Nobody knew what to say after that. With the exception of Kate, none of the Ipswich group knew how they felt. Everything was pretty jumbled. Tyler, though, decided to break the ice.

"We should all spend some time together," he said.

Leah nodded, a grin back on her beautiful face.

"Yes, definitely. There's a party tonight at my house. Some of the cast and crew. You guys should come, and you can just spend the night. I'm sure Oliver won't mind."

"Oliver Reed?" Sarah questioned. "He was at the restaurant too, wasn't he?"

"Yeah. He's a close friend of mine, as well as my roommate."

Reid chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"Look at you, living the New York life. Opposite sex roommate and all." He grabbed his jacket and jerked his head towards the door. "Let's go. I'm anxious to spend more time with the little man in your life."

Leah smiled.

"You better be ready. Jam's definitely a handful."

* * *

Four hours later, Reid found that Leah wasn't kidding. Most of the adults at the party had stood around, talked, and drank wine. Reid, however, had spent his time running around with James, keeping the little boy from colliding with things and listening to random complicated and scientific facts. The blonde, needless to say, was worn out.

"Here," Leah said, handing Reid a beer. "You earned it. I'm just going to take the little ball of energy up to bed."

"I'll go with you," Oliver stated, following Leah up the stairs.

Reid turned around and looked at his friends.

"Well," he drawled, gesturing to the room, "What do you think?"

Caleb looked around as well.

"I think she's set up a great life for herself," he commented, "Although it's got to be hectic trying to juggle her career and her duties as a single mother."

Sarah nodded.

"But it looks like she's handling the responsibility well."

Pogue looked at the stairs, his eyes holding a slight sense of nostalgia.

"She always could hold her own."

Kate looked at him, her hand tightening around his. She didn't like the look in his eyes. He looked at her and gave her a small smile, but it wasn't near enough to put her insecurities to rest.

"What's that red thing in the corner?" she asked, trying to steer the subject away from Leah.

Tyler looked at it with narrowed eyes for a second before he realized what it was.

"That's James' jacket."

Reid reached down and scooped it up before placing his beer on the coffee table.

"I'll take it upstairs," he said.

He went up the stairs quietly, skipping every other step. He listened to see if he could hear Leah's voice; he could follow it to find James' room. When he reached the top of the stairs, he heard whispers off to his left. There was a partially opened door with a sliver of light shining into the otherwise dark hallway. He walked toward the room, but paused as he heard the hushed voices get more intense.

"I can't believe you," Oliver said. Reid could see through the crack that the man had his arms crossed. He was glaring disappointedly at Leah as she ran a hand over the forehead of her already sleeping child. Leah looked at Oliver with a little guilt, then down at James.

"I know you think I made a wrong choice, but I did what I thought was best," she stated. Her voice didn't hold a defensive tone. She merely sound tired, completely drained not only of energy, but will.

"That's bull," Oliver retorted. "This ridiculous charade has gone on long enough and you know it."

Reid shook his head a little. He had no clue what they were talking about.

Leah sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"No."

Oliver looked sternly at her. His eyes flicked to James and then softened as he looked back as his friend.

"You've got to stop making excuses and just do it. Whatever will be, will be."

Leah met Oliver's gaze, and Reid was surprised to see that suddenly some fire had entered her eyes. It was a subtle kind of determination that Oliver couldn't miss.

"No," Leah said with a tone of finality. "I'm not telling Pogue that James is his son."

Reid's mouth dropped and his eyes narrowed as he stared at his friend and the child in the bed.

_I fucking __**knew**__ it._


	3. Wonderings and Wonder

Hi everybody! Here's another update in a reasonable timeframe. Enjoy!

Thanks to **BEEcausexoxo** for the hotel suggestion. I really hope I put it in okay. I had to go off the pictures I looked at online. :)

DISCLAIMER: Don't own the Covenant or the St.Regis. I own the OCs

* * *

Reid wasn't sure what to do in the situation. It wasn't often you find out that one of your best friends had a child that he didn't know about with an ex-girlfriend, who's also a friend of yours, and that said girlfriend refused to tell him. Reid was caught between running into the bedroom to yell some sense into Leah and racing downstairs to tell Pogue the news. But before he could make up his mind, Leah spoke again.

"Oliver, you know it's not a wise decision."

Oliver made a noncommittal noise. "You're saying it's an unwise decision because you're scared of him."

"With good reason! He's a lunatic! He'll destroy what I've worked for, what I've set up for myself and for James." She was still whispering, but her voice had gotten so shrill in panic that it was beginning to crack. "You don't understand. You don't know him. He'll tear everything apart."

Reid was utterly confused. Why would Leah be scared of Pogue? Unless…unless she knew about the Power. But she didn't know, as far as he knew, because Pogue told the group Leah had to be told about it. And why would she think Pogue would harm his own son anyway?

Oliver laid a hand on Leah's shoulder and rubbed comfortingly. His face was sad as he looked at her. She looked like she was trying to regain her emotional balance; her gaze kept darting between her son and the floor.

"It's okay," he said soothingly. "Let's just call it a night. You can start to solve everything in the morning."

Leah nodded, inhaling and exhaling as she closed her eyes briefly. Kissing her son on the forehead, she turned toward the door. Oliver guided her gently, his hand resting on her lower back comfortably.

His eyes widening, Reid realized his position was about to be compromised. It was his bad luck that it looked like he was heading for a confrontation, when he had just decided moments before to avoid one. He had to think about what he just heard, and he had to decide whether to clue Pogue in or not. Basically, much serious pondering had to be done.

Glancing quickly to his left and right, he realized that he had no escape. It was too dark to find another room to enter, and he wouldn't make it to the stairs and down in time. Sighing in resignation, he decided to Use to appear downstairs. Letting his eyes flash black, he could do nothing but hope that only his brothers and their girls were in the living room.

"Shit!"

"Reid…"

The blonde rolled his eyes at both Tyler and Caleb: the former for jumping in fright like a girl, and the latter for being such an annoying, condescending worrywart.

"Relax Caleb," he said, forcing his words to sound nonchalant when he felt anything but, "It was a slight emergency."

"You went up to return a sweater to a five year old. How dire could the circumstances be?" Caleb answered, looking disbelieving.

Reid's insides froze. In panic, he realized he had to either tell them the truth, or make up a really convincing lie.

"I was eavesdropping and I didn't want to get caught," he explained, "I was listening to a little tête-à-tête between Leah and Oliver."

_There_, he thought, _it's only a lie by omission._

"Oh, Leah and Oliver are dating?" Tyler asked. He glanced at Pogue who was suddenly busy running his fingers through Kate's hair.

"Just friends."

Everyone turned to look at Leah, who was standing in the doorway with her hands wrapped around her midsection. She gave a smile that Reid could see didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm heading to bed," she told them quietly. "Guest rooms are up the stairs and to the right when you're ready to sleep. If you turn left at the stairs, my room is the third on the right. Don't hesitate to come get me if you need anything, but be quiet when you're walking down the hallway. Oliver and James' rooms are there too."

Everyone nodded.

"Speaking of the little man," Reid said, "He left his sweater down here." He walked over to her and held out the red piece of clothing, looking intensely at her face. She was an exhausted sort of shaken up, but she was trying valiantly to hide it. Reid wasn't fooled. He decided to give her a chance to get it all off her chest.

"You okay?" he inquired. "Everything alright? James get to bed without a fuss?" He put slight pressure on his words, a subtle emphasis so she would get the hint. If she did, she was good at feigning ignorance. She simply smiled once more and nodded, showing that she found no hidden meaning in his words.

"Yes to all questions," she said. " Your bags are here by the door. And I'll see all of you for breakfast in the morning."

"You don't have to work?" Sarah asked.

Leah shook her head. "No, I just have rehearsal from eleven to five. You all can come if you want. It's interesting to watch the practice for the swordfights and seeing the costume department. Plus, I'm sure James will love having new grown-ups to play with."

"We'll be there," Caleb assured her after looking at everyone.

"Fantastic," she responded, voice lacking some of the enthusiasm the word called for. "Night." After waving, she turned and ascended the steps, disappearing from sight.

"What's going on?" Pogue asked. His voice, as it had strangely been most of the night, was quiet. However, no one could miss the force behind the question.

"What are talking about?"

Pogue turned to Reid, eyes pinning him. There was a slight clench to the longhaired man's jaw that told Reid he had given the wrong response.

"You kept staring at her, like you were waiting for her to say something," Pogue pointed out, "and she looked like hell. So something happened when you were up there eavesdropping. Whatever you heard was important."

Reid forced himself not to react.

"It was just some of her personal problems," he explained, hedging the truth again. "I'm just concerned for her."

"Problems like what?" Kate asked. She sounded more interested in getting insider details than worried for her supposed friend.

Reid sneered, pissed at Kate's reaction and slightly grateful she gave him a chance to turn the conversation to her.

"None of your damn business," Reid hissed. " So stop pretending you care just to get the latest gossip."

"Stop Reid," Caleb commanded before Kate could say anything. "Let's just all go to bed." He got up and walked off to bed, putting his hand in Sarah's and taking her with him. He only paused to grab his and Sarah's belongings from the floor. Everyone else soon followed, picking up their overnight bags and trudging upstairs.

* * *

Pogue couldn't sleep. He had tried, of course, but no amount of sheep counting or having Kate snuggle up to him would ease his restless mind. Deciding that lying there wasn't going to accomplish anything, he got out of bed and grabbed a hoodie while jamming his feet into his motorcycle boots. As he passed a mirror on the way out, he shook his head. In his sweatshirt with a school logo (Cornell 'Big Red') and gray baggy sweats, hanging low on his hips, it was like a flashback to the high school him. He shook his head at his reflection. The past was coming back to bite him in the ass.

Quietly, he slipped downstairs and out the door. Standing on the sidewalk in front of the house, he blew out a breath, watching idly as it formed a puff due to the cold weather. Putting his hands in the pockets he paced slowly while he thought.

Seeing Leah again was…good and bad. He hadn't ended things well, and then for her to see him with Kate? That was even worse in his mind. He knew the two of them were friends before she left. How could he not? They were like sisters, which was why he was surprised when Kate first started coming on to him.

Oh, Kate. She had flirted with him when he was dating Leah, but being single had been like opening the gate for full-out advances. And after a while, his surprise wore off. He was a good looking guy, so there was no reason that girls wouldn't pay attention to him, and Kate had never hesitated to tell him how hot he was. So without him really thinking anymore about it, they were casually seeing each other. Then that turned into exclusive dating, during which the Chase episode happened and led to the spilling of the secret. Soon after, college happened, and with him at Cornell and her at UCLA, they decided to be in a long-distance relationship.

Pogue sighed, remembering that period of his life. He had missed her, missed touching her and spending time with her. He was in snowy Ithaca while she was off in sunny California. They were worlds apart, and he certainly felt it. So when they reunited after college graduation, he had popped the question. It made sense to him, after all those years together. He had spent so many years with her, being completely involved with her. He was happy, he thought, and he loved her.

But if that was true, why was he in such a knot about seeing Leah again? It went beyond unresolved issues, he knew, but he didn't know exactly what he was feeling. She had taken the news of his engagement without so much as a blink. She might've been surprised, but she wasn't as surprised as he thought she would be. What was up with that? And why did he even _care_ what her reaction was?

Did he love her? He tried not to think about that. It would suck if he did. Everything would come crashing down around him, and the life he had been living would change. And change in the form of a woman, when you're engaged to another woman, was bad. Bad with a big, ominous, capitalized B. He was drawn to Leah, but couldn't it just be because she was pretty? Or because he worried for an hour or so that her kid was his kid?

"Hey Mr. Pogue!"

_Speaking of her kid…_

Pogue turned and stared upwards. James was on a balcony, one Pogue assumed was attached to his bedroom, decked out in his blue and red plaid pajama pants and National Geographic t-shirt. Both the pants and the shirt were a little too large, the pants dragging on the ground and the shirt reaching mid-thigh. Pogue chuckled a little at the sight.

"Hey James," Pogue said, smiling a little. " And you can just call me Pogue. What are you doing out of bed?"

"I'm trying to stargaze," the small boy stated like it was obvious.

Pogue raised a brow in amusement.

"You can't see that many stars though, right? The buildings are in the way."

"Nothing's in the way if you look hard enough," the boy said confidently.

Pogue nodded and stared into the sky. James was very bright, he noted, and he felt extremely proud. Pogue didn't know why of course, but it didn't lessen the feeling. He looked up at the boy again, a frown suddenly on his face.

"Hey, it's too cold for you to be outside in your pajamas. Go back inside before you get sick."

James tilted his head quizzically.

"But you're outside in your pajamas."

"I'm wearing a sweatshirt. You're not. You can't stay warm."

"I want to stargaze, though," James said, looking vastly upset. "There's supposed to be three shooting stars tonight."

Pogue sighed. He had no clue what to do. Logically, James should go inside. But he seemed really into the stars thing. Deciding upon a course of action, Pogue climbed partly up a stable-looking potted tree-thing beside the door. Then using the athlete's grace he had perfected through many years of training, he leaped and grabbed the bars of the balcony railing. His body thudded against the side of it, hurting a bit, but he quickly began to pull himself up.

"Back up a bit," he told an awed James. "I've got to swing my legs over."

James obliged, his feet scuffling. Once Pogue was safely on the balcony, he looked at the boy, only to see wide, astonished eyes staring up at him.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

James shook his head as if waking from a dream, his dark curls flopping to and fro.

"You're like a superhero," he said. "Like Spiderman."

Pogue chuckled, genuinely pleased.

"Oh man," he teased. "I was going for Batman."

James laughed at the joke, clutching his tummy.

"You're funny."

"So I've sometimes been told." Pogue pulled off his hoodie and tapped the little boy's shoulder. "Come here. Let me put this on you so you don't freeze to death." He pulled James closer, and maneuvered the sweatshirt over the child's head and all the way down. Pogue smirked. "There. Now you'll be okay."

James looked down at himself and giggled again.

"Pogue, it's man-sized," he explained through peals of laughter. "It doesn't fit me. I'm too small."

Pogue shrugged and ruffled James' hair, pausing soon after at the warm feeling in his chest. He felt…content, weirdly enough.

"That's okay. It'll keep you warm."

"Cornell: Big Red?" James read off the hoodie. Stargazing, it seemed, had been replaced by conversation. "What does that mean?"

"I went to Cornell University for college," Pogue explained. "And Big Red was the nickname for the sports teams. I was on the swim team."

" I swim too!" James said excitedly. "Mommy says I'm really good." He pouted. "But she won't let me do really cool stuff. She says I'm too little."

Putting his hand comfortingly on James shoulder, Pogue smiled.

"Your mom's right. You are too little, and you could get hurt. But don't worry; you'll be ready for big stuff soon. You've just got to work your way up the ladder. It's a process."

James looked into Pogue's eyes before nodding. "Okay," he said seriously. Then he yawned, stretching his arms up into the air.

"You're tired, kiddo," Pogue noted. "Let's get you to bed."

Without waiting for argument, Pogue picked up the little boy and carried him inside. After shutting the balcony door, he pulled off the hoodie and slipped the boy under his warm, heavy covers with SAT words all over them. He tucked the boy in, making sure everything was in place. Pogue hoped he didn't forget to do anything. He wasn't usually around children.

"Pogue?" James questioned sleepily.

"Yeah?"

"You're awesome. It's almost like having a daddy."

Pogue smiled and ran his hand over James' head affectionately.

"Thanks."

Then straightening up, he walked out of the door, pausing once to look behind him before leaving the sleeping boy to sweet dreams. And when Pogue reached his own room, he found that it was miraculously easy to fall into a deep, comfortable sleep.

* * *

After a fairly pleasant breakfast in the morning, everyone went their separate ways with a promise to meet up at the theater. The gang from Ipswich went to their separate hotels while Leah, Oliver, and James prepared for the day. James had stuck to Pogue like glue all morning, and was very put out when he had to leave. It wasn't lost on anyone how enamored with Pogue James seemed to be, and everyone wondered what had happened.

"What's going on with you and that little boy?" Kate asked too calmly when they got back to the hotel. She was pulling out clothes from the closet and tossing them haphazardly behind her. The once neat appearance of their spacious suite at the St. Regis hotel had vanished, replaced by the horrific clutter one would see in a women's dressing room. After looking around the bedroom in slight irritation, Pogue sighed as he walked to the window. The sight of Fifth Ave. was much more eye pleasing than the multi-colored, high fashion tornado wreck that seemed to have demolished his room.

"Nothing," Pogue answered. "We just talked for a bit yesterday. That's all."

"What'd you talk about?"

Pogue turned to his fiancée briefly before gazing out the window again. In the reflection, he could see dresses and tops flying through the air and landing on the soft seats.

"Kate, relax. What are so worked up about? We just talked, and he's just a kid. He's not out to steal me from you or anything."

Kate huffed, whirling around to look at him, the Versace outfit she was holding fluttering wildly. Her eyes were slightly narrowed in frustration, and her fingers were grasping the clothes' hanger tightly.

"I have a right to be paranoid!" she protested. "He's Leah's child!"

"_Leah's _child," Pogue cut in, starting to get angry with Kate. "Not mine. A point that you were practically ecstatic about yesterday."

Kate's face colored as much as her dark skin would allow.

"Well _excuse_ _me_ if I was relieved that my fiancée didn't have an illegitimate child!"

Pogue stalked over to Kate, right in her face.

"Stop it! Stop talking about James like he's some demon child. He's a good kid! He's bright and cute and nice. You better hope you have a kid like James!"

Kate's head jerked back from his, a weird expression on her face as her eyes held his.

"Don't you mean 'we?'"

"What?"

"Don't you mean I better hope _we_ have a kid like James?"

Pogue paused. He blinked, and Kate swore the moment lasted forever.

"Yeah," he said, backing away from her and moving toward the door. "Yeah, that's what I meant." He ran a hand through his hair as he exited. "You should wear that white-ish sweater thing; it'll be really cold out."

Kate watched him go in shock. He had stood up for James, so much so that it was like he was picking the kid over her. With a deep breath, she turned back to the closet. She'd just have to hold onto Pogue the way she always had: by being amazingly pretty.

So no, she wouldn't be wearing the ivory cowl-neck sweater that Pogue had recommended; she'd wear something much more flattering. And besides, she wasn't about to commit a fashion error. She had worn ivory the day before.

* * *

Tyler stood in the lobby of the theater, tapping his foot in boredom. He told Leah he was going to wait for the rest of group there, so she could go ahead and go to rehearsal. And twenty minutes later, there he was. Still waiting. Why couldn't they be on time?

He looked around the room, trying to fill the time. It was decorated nicely, and had a royal and majestic feel to it. He figured Leah must feel even more like the Broadway star she was walking through this room all the time. He glanced at his watch. Now he had been waiting twenty-_one_ minutes.

The whoosh of the revolving door caused Tyler to look up in hope. His eyes met those of a man, about his age, with dirty blonde hair and a cat-ate-the-canary smile. He was attractive, dressed in expensive clothes. The guy wasn't even looking at Tyler, but at the door that led backstage. He was walking quickly, but he still managed to look composed and cool. As he rushed past, a manila folder fell to the floor, the sound swallowed by the sound of the man's shoes.

" Hey!" Tyler called. "You dropped something!"

But the man didn't hear him, for he had already disappeared backstage.

Trying to be the Good Samaritan, Tyler opened the folder to see if the man's name or information were on any of the papers. They weren't. What he did see however, made his mouth drop in shock as he flipped through the contents.

Inside the envelope was a mass amount of photographs, all of them focused on Leah. Some of them were taken outside in public places. Others, the more disturbing ones, were taking in her house, or at the dressing room of the theater. There were pictures of her eating at restaurants, taking James to school, sleeping in bed, changing clothes, taking a shower. It was like every second of her life was being photographed. And on the very back of the folder, written in jagged writing was a message.

_**L- Here's the pics of D. Have fun.**_


	4. Secrets

Hey all! Sorry an update took so long. Thank you all for your wonderful and encouraging reviews; they mean a lot. By the way, does anybody mind if I start responding to reviews at the end of chapters? I really want to specifically thank people, but I didn't know if that was invasion of privacy or something. Anyway, thank you for reading this story and without much more ado, here is the chapter!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Covenant or Phantom

* * *

It seems, contrary to popular belief, you can take the boy out of trouble but you can't take the trouble out of the boy. Reid wasn't meeting the crew at the theater like he agreed, some would even say promised, he would. Instead, he was standing out in the January cold trying to break into Leah's townhouse. Reid figured he at least had enough respect for her to accomplish B and E the normal (albeit still illegal) way and to not use his powers.

_Got it._

Putting away his lock picking tools--a.k.a. a credit card and a hairpin he nicked from Sarah--he stepped inside and carefully closed the door. He punched the numbers into the alarm pad, thanking his amazing genes that he had selectively good memory. Crossing the hall, he jogged up the stairs and stopped thoughtfully at the top, his fingers thrumming slowly on his bottom lip.

"If I were a birth certificate, where would I be?"

After much idea-tennis in his brain, Reid decided that for the sake of the Covenant, if not friendship, Pogue had to know he was a dad. It was going to throw him for a hell of a loop, but he had to know. But nothing, short of an official document with official scribblings, was going to get the point across since Leah had blatantly lied.

Hanging a left, Reid walked toward a room that looked vaguely like a female bedroom. He assumed that was where women kept all things important, in dresser drawers or whatnot. Walking in, he looked around and was momentarily distracted. The room was amazing. Done in a silky white with focus spots of deep purple, it was modern and creative. Posters from staple Broadway shows and classic movies were framed and placed artfully on the wall next to framed pictures of James. The furniture was stylish, simplistic, and elegant. But of course, he told himself that if he happened to describe this room to anyone later, he would do so in a more manly and testosterone-preserving way.

Already feeling like he overstayed his welcome, he decided not to manually look for the birth certificate. The tiny kick in the ass that the other Sons would feel as a User alert would be worth it. So now all he had to do was think real hard.

_Score._

Reid looked down at the paper in his hand with a smirk. Skimming over it, he saw it had everything he needed.

_**James Kieran Callum Grace. Born February 1, 2008 at 12:13 am. 19in., 9lbs. **_

_**Mother: Leah Delilah Montgomery Grace, Father: Pogue Wayne Parry.**_

If possible, Reid's smirk grew.

_And again, I say score._

* * *

"Say you'll love me every waking moment. Turn my head with talk of summertime…Say you'll need me with you now and always. Promise me that all you say is true…that's all I ask of y--"

"STOP!"

Taking a deep breath and turning away from her costar, Ethan, Leah turned towards Rolf, the director, and Shelly, the voice specialist. She raised her eyebrows in question.

"You look like a dead corpse," Rolf said, crossing his arms. They were strangely muscular for a man who made a living ordering others to do things.

"That's redundant, Rolf," Ethan said.

"Did I hire you to backtalk? No? Well be quiet and reflect on your job while I do my job. Okay?"

Shelly chuckled, placing a manicured hand on Rolf's shoulder and squeezing.

"Calm down," she soothed. "Breathe in and out. Remember to be lenient. Forgive. Otherwise your blood pressure won't do the same."

Rolf followed Shelly's advice before turning back to Leah.

"What's wrong?"

Leah shrugged, shaking her head a little.

"Nothing."

Rolf raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Nothing?"

"Absolutely nothing."

Rolf still looked suspicious as he turned around to sit down again. He grabbed a bottle of water off the floor and took a generous swig before looking back up at the stage.

"Nevertheless, take a fifteen minute break," he said. When no one moved, he raised his eyebrows again, gesturing with his hands. "Go! Both of you. Get off my stage."

Ethan laughed jovially, running a hand through his hair.

"You just don't want to see Leah and me kiss, that's all."

"What?"

"You get all teary-eyed and romantic," Ethan continued. "Don't deny it."

Shelly giggled.

"I really do believe they're Christine and Raoul," she commented. "They look like actual lovers."

"That's what they're paid to do," Rolf shot back, "Though I think you're mistaking my slight nausea as romanticism."

Ethan and Shelly laughed again as Leah gave a small smile.

"I'll be in my dressing room, if anyone needs me."

Rolf shooed her off impatiently, looking down at his clipboard.

"Go. Rejuvenate. Come out looking better than you were."

* * *

Thievery done, Reid decided to wait backstage for Leah. He had to know why she didn't tell them the truth, and the more he thought about it, the more pissed he became.

He had slipped furtively through the backstage door, and after that had flirted shamelessly with a rather…well endowed ensemble dancer in order to find out where Leah's dressing room was. Once he had charmed the information out of her (and after she had insisted on writing her name and number on his hand), Reid progressed to the room and waited.

Waiting for her to show, he looked around the room. It was a decent size; it wasn't too big or pompous, but it was no broom closet either. Pictures of James, Oliver, and her cast mates were scattered throughout the room. He realized he was disappointed that she had no pictures of her childhood friends, but he quickly brushed off the feeling. Why should he expect her to be reminded of them? It wasn't like they had photos of her hanging up either. Reid noted that there was a long rack of costumes right by the door. A white piece of paper was hanging off of them.

_**Dee, here are your costumes. I took them in a bit just like you asked. But I could swear you asked me to do the same thing just a week or two ago. You're losing weight too quickly, aren't you? Love you, chica. Stop by the 'stume shop today if you get a sec! – Lola**_

Reid's eyes narrowed. If she was losing a lot of weight in a short amount of time, it wasn't a good sign. What was going on?

"Reid? What are you doing back here?"

He didn't turn around. Instead, he moved to pick up a photo of James.

"Waiting for you," he answered monotonously. He stared at the picture for a few seconds. Yeah, he could definitely see the resemblance now.

"Nice one," Leah said dryly. "And why are you looking at my son's picture as if you're going to set it on fire?"

_I could._

"You're a liar."

"Excuse me?"

Reid turned around, his eyes only slightly irritated despite his words. "Don't get all self-righteous. I know you lied to Pogue about James."

Leah was silent for a moment before she glared at him.

"How?"

"I was listening when you talked to Oliver last night."

Leah sucked in a breath, her eyes flashing.

"Oh, so you were spying on me?"

She was livid, Reid could tell. She didn't turn red or anything, but her hands were shaking slightly, her fingernails digging into her palms. Her legs were stiff, her back ramrod straight as she stared him down. Had it not been such a serious situation, he would have smirked at the familiarity of the sight.

"No, not spying. I came to return the sweater to James when I heard you talking. At first, I didn't know what it was about, so I stayed to see if I needed to come in and help. But then," he laughed humorlessly, "the cat came out of the freaking bag."

Leah calmed down a little, but she was still tense. She sensed that Reid's speech wasn't over.

"And then," Reid continued, "you told Oliver that you were scared Pogue was going to mess everything up."

She looked confused, but still crossed her arms defensively.

"I never said that."

"I beg to differ. Your exact words were: 'He's a lunatic. He'll destroy what I've worked for, what I've set up for myself and for James. You don't know him. He'll tear everything apart.'" Reid scoffed, shaking his head. "What the hell's going on, Leah?"

Leah looked petrified for a moment, then her expression slid back into one of controlled anger and annoyance.

"What's going on is that you're sticking your nose in things you don't understand."

"So explain."

"Things aren't so simple," she retorted, her tone cutting but not rising, "You come here and draw all these conclusions and throw my words back at me like you know something. You don't have a clue, Reid. You have no _idea_ what's going on." She took a deep breath and ran a hand over her forehead.

"Then tell me," Reid bit out. His voice got louder as he went on. "What the hell is so secret that you can't tell me?"

Leah laughed humorlessly.

"Stop throwing a tantrum and let it go Reid."

They stood facing each other, the somber mood hanging in the air. Leah's arms were crossed, and Reid's hands were fisted in his pockets. Neither knew how to proceed until Reid finally opened his mouth.

"Pogue knows," he said quietly. "I gave him James' birth certificate at his hotel."

Leah looked at Reid in disbelief.

"How did you get my son's birth certificate?"

Reid shrugged coldly.

"Doesn't matter. What does matter is that you're going to have a very pissed off Pogue coming." When Leah didn't say anything, he shook his head. "Just tell me why, Leah. Why would you do that to Pogue?"

Leah's face was blank, showing neither surprise at Pogue's knowledge nor acknowledgement of Reid's question. Nonetheless, she answered, her voice barely higher than a whisper.

"I never thought I'd be one of those mothers who keeps their child's father out of things. I'd never understood what could possibly motivate women to actively insure that the father of their baby never knew he was father. I didn't get it. But then, I found out I was pregnant. I was shocked to say the least. Pogue and I were careful. Always. But it had to be his. So I came back to Ipswich. You remember, don't you?"

Reid nodded. Yeah, he did remember.

* * *

He had been walking aimlessly around one day during free period and had seen her standing in the middle of the quad, looking lost. After hugging each other and exchanging "I miss you's," they had walked and talked. Reid filled her in on little things and Leah shared about her internship.

Randomly, they had made their way to the field, where the rest of the Sons were playing soccer. And right after Pogue scored a goal, Kate rushed over to him, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him. And he kissed her right back. Reid remembered looking over at Leah to see all the color drain from her face, her mouth tightly closed as she looked like she was going to faint.

"It's only been a month, if that." Leah had whispered. She tucked her hair behind her ear and swallowed hard, trying to regain composure. "I…I was going to…" she trailed off, looking down at the ground. "Don't tell them I was here. Just, do that for me."

"What?"

"Please."

Reid had nodded, lost for words. She had looked so pained, and it hit him hard. Leah kissed him softly on the cheek and gave a little wave before turning and leaving. Reid swore he felt tears on her cheeks, and though he never mentioned that day to anyone that was the day he started hating Kate.

* * *

"But you didn't tell me you were pregnant," Reid said. "You should've told me. You should've stuck around to tell Pogue."

Leah nodded. "I know. But something inside of me just…_broke_. I could see it, plain as day. He really liked her, loved her even. He wasn't faking it. So, I decided to keep it to myself and just go back to the city. Pogue would have barely been able to handle it even if he weren't seeing Kate, and since he was, I felt it would have been too much for him to handle. Neither of us needed the extra stress."

"But you needed to let him decide, Leah. He would've decided to help you, to be a supportive dad." Reid exhaled sharply then, running his hand over and through his hair in frustration. " For Christ's sake, Leah! You were seventeen! You shouldn't have had to do it by yourself; you shouldn't have had to be a single mom! He could've been there! _I _could've been there!"

"You're right," Leah agreed. "But I thought it would be better off if you guys didn't have to worry about it too, so I toughed it out. Then February first came, and everything I had gone through was worth it. I knew things were going to be hard, but I didn't care. James was so _perfect_. He became my everything. Then maybe two years ago, I started feeling guilty. Pogue missed all of it: James first step, first pictures, and his smiles. It wasn't fair. So I tried to find out where Pogue was. I was planning a trip back home to sort things out."

"What happened?"

"_He_happened. Liem. I got my first…note."

Reid's eyes narrowed. "What kind of note?"

Leah swallowed. "The kind of note you get from a stalker. It only had a few words, but I'd never been so scared in my life. Paper-clipped to it were pictures of me, of James. Those were the ones that terrified me, the ones of James. They were taken in so many different places…I didn't know how to protect him."

Reid closed his eyes tightly to keep them from turning black. He forced the power inside of him down so he didn't break everything in the room.

"What were the words?"

" 'You're mine. Don't ever tell.' "

"So you didn't tell?" Reid yelled. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Leah shook her head, and tears started to fall.

"I tried. I called the police to tell them, but as soon as I started to tell, my line waiting beeped. It was the hospital on the other line, Reid." A sob escaped, and Leah tried to choke it back so she could continue. "They told me that James had been brought into the ER. His arm was broken and he had cuts and bruises. When I got there, he told me he couldn't remember what had happened, that he just remembered waiting in the hallway at school."

Reid was almost afraid to ask, but he had to. "What happened next?"

"I brought him home, and there was a note on my bed. It was perfectly folded and placed, and the paper was blindingly white except for a couple… a couple of dark red drops in the corner. And it said, 'I told you not to tell.'" Leah sank down in a chair, wiping her tears before she clasped her hands firmly in her lap. "It hasn't stopped. It's been happening since then, and if anything, it's gotten worse. I loose time, Reid, and I have no clue what has happened, no clue where I've been or who I've been with. It was like James after his…accident. I usually wake up in my room or in here."

Reid sank down in a chair as well, gripping the arms tightly.

"So you stopped trying to contact Pogue, wanting to keep him out of it and keep everyone safe."

"Liem told me that if he ever suspected me of being in love with someone, he'd kill whoever it was and then he'd do something to James."

"Do what?"

"I don't know, it varied. But it was always enough to make me sick."

Abruptly, Reid stood up and grabbed Leah's hand.

"Call whoever you have to in order to extend your break. We're going to talk to the guys. And we're telling them everything. Besides, there's some stuff you need to know about the Sons."

"What are you talking about?"

"Let's just say its way past time for us to come clean."

* * *

I hope I didn't offend any directors...I exaggerated the character for comic effect. Thanks for reading.


	5. Bring it to a Yell

Hi! So so sorry that it took a year to post a new chapter of this story. And for those of your reading, thanks for hanging in there. I tried to make this longer to make up...sort of...for the ridiculous delay.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Covenant. But I do own my OC's and my plot.

* * *

Knock knock.

Pogue Parry looked up towards the door. He idly wondered if it was Kate returning to the room because she forgot something. It was like her to knock because she was too lazy to get out he key. Slowly, he moved to the door, his mind on other things. He probably would've been drinking a beer if it wasn't so early in the day. There was something about being in New York, with Leah and her son, that charged him with some king of high but confused him as well. Shaking his head, he pulled open the door.

"Reid?"

The blonde sidled in, hands in his coat pockets. His light eyes were shadowed, his usually proud head bowed. Pogue didn't even know what to assume; it was rare to see Reid so serious without a stronger emotion attached like a bill rider.

"Sit down," Reid ordered.

Pogue couldn't do anything but close the door. Nothing good ever followed those two words. He turned to his friend, meeting the younger man's eyes as they rose.

"I'll stand," Pogue said tersely. "Just spit it out."

Reid didn't answer; instead he just shrugged off his heavy coat and pulled a manila envelope out of the interior pocket. He handed it to Pogue before sitting down in a chair.

"I shouldn't be the one telling you this," he said bluntly. "But open the damn packet anyway."

Pogue cautiously picked up the envelope, the thing feeling heavy in his hands. He had no clue what he was going to find, but it sure as hell wasn't going to be good enough news to throw a party.

Opening the top, he pulled the first piece of paper out. It looked official, but he couldn't tell what it was yet.

"Where'd this come from?"

Reid was looking down again.

"You'll know when you read it."

Nervous, Pogue looked down at the paper in his hands. His eyes flicked back and forth over the words, growing wider as they neared the end of the text.

"Holy shit," he mumbled.

Reid just nodded, picking with his coat sleeves.

"Holy shit," Pogue said again. He pulled the rest of the documents out, reading them hungrily.

"HOLY SHIT!" he screamed. Reid looked up at the outburst.

"I told you I wasn't the one who should have told you."

"I have a son!" Pogue screamed. He was clutching the papers in his hand so tightly he was crinkling them beyond repair. "She lied to me! She fucking lied to me!" Throwing the papers on the table in front of him, he ran his hands over his hair. So quickly Reid wasn't even sure it happened, Pogue walked over to the wall and punched it with so much power it crumbled at the impact. "How long have you known?" Pogue grounded out at Reid.

Reid fixed the wall before he answered.

"Only since last night. I overheard her talking to Oliver."

Pogue was filled with so many emotions he felt like he was burning alive. He was angry as hell, he felt like crying (though he would never admit it), but he also felt like giving a sigh of relief. As irate and upset as he was, at least he knew what was going on. He kicked at the ground in frustration. But the fact that he hadn't known earlier, about six years earlier, was the part that made him livid.

"How could she?" he raged at Reid. "Why the hell wouldn't she tell me? And what about the Covenant?! Holy hell, Reid. He's going to have the power! I needed to know this! I needed to know he was my son!"

Reid looked up.

"She was scared of you."

Pogue's head whipped around.

"What?"

"She was scared of you man. For some reason she thinks you're going to mess things up."

Pogue growled, throwing his hands up.

"This is great," he bit out sarcastically. "This is just great. She doesn't even know about the Covenant and she's freaked out. So what happens when I tell her the great news that me and our son are warlocks who could die early from a power OD?"

Reid shrugged, though he was feeling anything but complacent. He was reining in his anger, because he had matured enough to know it wasn't going to help the situation. There was already enough raging fury in the room to burn down the place.

"You have to talk to her."

The other man nodded.

"Yeah," Pogue said. "Well I'm going to do more than that."

Without another word, he grabbed the papers off the table and stalked into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Reid got up silently and put his coat back on. From Pogue's attitude, things were going to get ugly. And the blonde couldn't fault his friend for that. But he figured he should head over to see Leah, even if to do nothing more than resolve his own issues with her. Or to give her a heads up. She was going to need it.

* * *

"Reid, where are we going?"

Upset or not, Leah was not okay with being dragged around. Reid was gripping her hand so tightly it hurt, and was pulling her along so forcefully at his quick pace that she felt she was going to fall.

"To an empty room. Caleb found a rehearsal space or something." Reid's eyes were narrowed and alight with a mix of worry and anger. He couldn't help noting that it was a prominent emotional theme for his day.

"How do you know that?" she questioned, looking around at the doors whizzing by before looking at the back of his head. "How do you even know where you're going?"

"I just do."

Upon reaching the end of the hallway, he threw open the door to a room Leah was almost sure stayed locked. He pulled her in behind him before shutting the door with a loud bang. As soon as he turned from the door, she did as well. Leah barely had time to turn around before Pogue was in her face.

"How could you do this to me?!" he spat. Full of anger and incredulity, his muscular figure loomed over hers. His posture was threatening and confrontational.

"Pogue," Tyler started. The way Pogue was glaring made the younger boy fear a fight would break out.

Squashing the slight terror she felt, Leah leaned defensively into Pogue. There was no way she was going to let him bully her.

"Do what?" she scoffed. "Have a kid? Mess up your perfect life with Kate?" She eyed him with disdain. "So sorry."

The next words out of her ex's mouth were practically a roar.

"Don't even try that shit! You know exactly what I'm talking about. You had my kid and didn't tell me!" he pointed accusingly at her. " No, screw that! You lied to me about it!"

"I had---"

Pogue interrupted. "If you make up some excuse, so help me god I will---"

"You'll what?" Leah said scathingly. "There's absolutely nothing you can do to me anymore, Parry. I'm not your girlfriend."

He crossed his arms slowly as his mouth set in a firm line.

"I can fight for custody."

Leah blanched and her body lost a little strength. Her voice still managed to have venom, however, when she spoke.

"You wouldn't dare."

"I would. And with all the old money and influence that comes with my name, I'd win."

Tyler shifted uneasily and ran a hand over his head.

"Pogue. C'mon man. Stop."

Pogue didn't even acknowledge that his brother had spoken. He just watched Leah as she lost what little color she had. Pogue knew she was playing over the scenario in her mind. Although he felt bad for affecting her so much, it wasn't enough to apologize.

After swallowing the lump in her throat, Leah looked determinedly at Pogue.

"I had my reasons. Wrong or not, I had my reasons for not telling you."

Pogue shook his head angrily, chuckling humorlessly. This was just like her, making shitty decisions that impacted everybody else. Just like when she left all those years ago.

"There's no good reason for not telling me," he said coldly. "You were selfish. That's it."

Reid clenched and unclenched his fingers. Pissed off with Pogue's obsessive bullying, he turned his ice eyes on his brother. Pogue wasn't even giving Leah a chance to explain.

"Of course, if you weren't off fucking Kate a month after the two of you broke up---"

"Shut up Reid." Pogue snapped.

The blonde pushed himself away from the door. As he moved closer, Pogue could tell the younger man was furious.

"Save it," Reid said coldly. "She already knows how 'broken up' you were."

Pogue's eyebrows raised in shock before lowering in anger at Reid. What the hell? Wasn't Reid on his side?

"You told her? You bas--"

"Yeah, well. Someone had to be a ma---"

"Fuck y--"

"Stop." Caleb's deep voice commanded.

The bickering men abruptly closed their mouths. Leah was surprised at how authoritative Caleb's tone was and how obedient the other Sons were. It was as if Caleb were pulling rank.

Caleb sighed. He was tired of dealing with adults that acted like children. Running a hand over his face, he let out a breath.

"Screaming is not going to help. Leah has things to say as do we." He nodded at Leah in acknowledgement. "Go."

Now that Pogue wasn't yelling at her, and it seemed he wasn't in charge, Leah regained some of her posture. Cocking a hip and crossing her arms she started.

"The day after I left, I moved into my first apartment in New York. I remember I was so excited to be on my own. I had already met some people from the theatre, like Oliver. He was working as a stagehand, believe it or not. Oliver and some of the staff threw me a welcome party. There were a lot of people there. So many in fact that no one noticed me run off to the bathroom to throw up my lunch. Well, Oliver noticed. He made me lie down and everything. I didn't even suspect pregnancy was why I was sick. I wasn't throwing up in the morning, after all. Then, the next morning when I woke up, I threw up again and Oliver dragged me to the doctor. Dr. Matheson kindly informed me that I was pregnant. After which, I promptly ran out the office, hailed a cab, and locked myself in my apartment 'till I figured out what to do."

"And at no point did you think that telling me was the right thing to do?" Pogue asked testily.

"I did, actually. Somewhere between the millionth 'holy crap, I'm preggers' and the nausea of morning sickness, I decided you should know a human being with half your DNA was going to be in existence in nine months."

"No need to be a smart ass."

"Then let me tell my damn story, Parry."

"Whatever."

"Thanks for being such a girl about it. Anyway, it took me about a month to get everything together----a break, my travel arrangements, my sanity----and then I came back home. I went to Spenser and realized that I had no idea where you were. So I loitered around until I ran into Reid."

Caleb raised his eyebrows.

"You saw Reid?" Leah nodded slowly after taking in Caleb's expression. Caleb turned to Reid. " And you didn't mention this years ago for what reason?"

Reid shrugged. "She asked me not to. And I listened."

Leah gave Reid a grateful smile before continuing.

"He didn't know I was pregnant. We talked, but I left that detail out."

"Stupidly..." Reid mumbled.

Leah rolled her eyes. "I didn't want to tell you prior to telling Pogue. I thought you were going to find out that day anyway. But as you know, things turned out differently and I didn't tell Pogue."

Pogue sighed in irritation.

"If you were there, why didn't you tell me?"

Reid cut his eyes towards Pogue.

"Because we stumbled across you violently making out with Kate on the soccer field, that's why."

Pogue's eyes widened; he had no clue what to say to that. When he looked at Leah, he found that her gaze was determinedly focused to the side, avoiding his. Of all the things he expected, it wasn't Reid's admission. Pogue knew he couldn't even imagine how Leah must have felt back then. She had been pregnant and alone, and then she had to watch the father of her unborn child swap spit with her best friend. Pogue felt like scum. And even though he and Leah weren't together then and weren't together now, he felt like he had betrayed her.

Feeling the guilt rise off of Pogue in waves, Leah turned and looked at him. His hazel eyes were trained on the ground, like he was wishing it would swallow him whole. His hands were clenched in fists and Leah knew that if he could, he would've punched something. That was what he did when he was angry, and he felt the worst kind of anger: anger at himself. Leah had the urge to walk over and put a reassuring arm around him, but she pushed it away. What would she say anyway? The fact was, he _had_ been locking lips with Kate pretty much right after she left. And he had, although inadvertently, broken her heart. Leah had no comforting words to tell him that weren't a lie. So, her anger exhausted, she just picked up the story where Reid left off, deciding to get it all over with.

"When I saw you and Kate, I just…couldn't face you," Leah said. "Things were already dramatic enough. I was so upset with you; I felt like crying and beating the shit out of you at the same time. But in that moment of looking at you and Kate, I thought, 'He's obviously happy without me. He moved on. He doesn't need me to mess that up with a pregnancy.' So I left, and I told Reid to keep my visit a secret. I didn't want you knocking on my door in New York demanding answers."

Pogue's eyes met hers for the first time since her admission. All he saw in her gaze was the guarded resolve that came with accepting the unpleasant events of the past. He needed to tell her something, but he wasn't sure how to say it. How his voice should sound. Should he sound persuading? Imploring? Defensive? Sad? He didn't know. But he had to tell her.

"I still loved you," he admitted. He said it matter-of-factly, deciding to just sound honest. "I won't deny that I liked Kate, but I still loved you. And I would've supported you and the baby fully."

Leah just nodded, swallowing hard.

"I think a part of me knew that. But I was distressed enough to forget and just run away." She looked down at her shoes and took a deep breath. This was the hard part. "I'm sorry for doing that. I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark regarding James. But once I started keeping you out of it, it just became easier as the days passed. And before I knew it, years had gone by and you still didn't know. So I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted so brashly, regardless of what I caught you doing."

Now it was Pogue's turn to nod. Unclenching his fists, he spoke.

"Thanks. I'm sorry too."

Leah shifted her weight. His voice was soft, like it got when he was trying to make sure somebody knew he was sincere. She had heard that voice many times when they were teenagers, and it had always sent chills down her spine. However, she was highly uncomfortable with his voice evoking the same reaction at the present time. She mentally shook off the feeling.

"Thank you."

Silence now reigned in the room, no one quite sure what to say. Leah felt emotionally tapped, having relived one of the more upsetting parts of her past. But she was also nervous about what came next. She knew Reid hadn't forgotten about her…issue, but wasn't sure how he was going to bring it up. And how was she going to explain it? It was beyond frightening, beyond weird. How was she going to tell them that she woke up sometimes not knowing what had happened in the previous hours but feeling violated all the same? There was no way to gently tell people such a thing.

Pogue felt apprehensive for a lot of reasons. He now knew for sure that he was a father. Of course he had pretty much known when he read the birth certificate, but after talking with Leah it had sunk in. Now he wondered if James really liked him, how things were going to go from here as far as his role as a father. He knew Leah had found her dream job in New York, and it would be stupid to ask her to give it all up and move to Ipswich. So, was he going to move to New York? He wanted to be in James' life as much as possible. He had to teach him things, like how to whistle (he had never seen why this was a parent activity, but apparently it was a father-son thing), how to ride a bike, how to swim the breaststroke for a competitive team, how to…Pogue stopped suddenly in his thought. There was one thing he was going to have to teach James about: The Covenant. Which meant telling Leah about it. And he had absolutely no clue how.

Reid's mind was going a mile a minute, processing everything. He knew most of it already, but still. It was heavy shit. And then there was that thing with Leah and that son of a bitch that was following her…Reid's blood was boiling as he thought about it. That fucker had to be stopped, and that was only going to happen if the rest of the guys knew about it. And being him, he decided to screw subtlety.

"Leah has a stalker."

Four heads snapped in his direction.

"Reid! How could you just blurt---" Leah began, only she was interrupted by Tyler.

"You know too?"

Now four heads swiveled towards Tyler.

"How the hell did you know?" Reid asked, bewildered.

Tyler looked at Leah before looking at Reid.

"On my way into the theatre I found an envelope with all these pictures inside. They were...umm..." He looked at Leah uncomfortably.

"They were what, Tyler?" Caleb asked. His voice wasn't irate, but there was definite anger detectable. Tyler knew it wasn't directed at him, but he hastened to answer nonetheless.

" They were the kind of pictures where the subject was unaware. Leah and James were never looking at the camera. And these pictures were taken everywhere, even private places."

Pogue's eyes flashed and his hands bunched into fists.

"What kind of private places?" Unlike Caleb, he didn't bother to mask his anger when he spoke. It cracked through the air like a whip.

Tyler shifted his gaze to Pogue, taking in the man's expression and knowing it was only going to get worse.

"Places like her dressing room," he began. He took a deep breath before uttering the rest. "And her bedroom, and her shower."

"WHAT?!" Pogue screamed. His voice was so loud and so angry that Leah had to instinctively take a step back. The Sons, however, stayed where they were. They were just as upset as Pogue. "Who is this son of a bitch?"

Reid sighed in frustration, running a hand over his blonde hair. "Some bastard named Liem. He's been terrorizing her for a while now. Tell them, Leah."

All eyes were turned on her. A little unnerved by all the raw anger in the room and uncomfortable with relaying her chilling tale, she took a few deep breaths before recounting the events and detailing everything she had told Reid. When she was done, her hands were shaking in fright.

"I didn't know about the pictures," she admitted, "but it makes sense." She was trying to sound strong and put together. Despite her fear, she couldn't fall apart. She had someone else to take care of. Someone she needed to be strong for. " Liem terrifies me. I never know when I'll suddenly black out and wake up not knowing what I've been doing. But the worst part is that I can't protect James from him." A tear ran down Leah's cheek. She defiantly brushed it away and focused her gaze towards the ceiling in an effort to stop. " I mean, I told you what happened to James with his arm. I don't want that to happen again, but I have no clue how to prevent it."

Caleb looked at Pogue, nodding slightly. It was time to tell all. Pogue, picking up the hint, took a deep breath.

" We can help," he said to Leah, voice strong.

" How?" Leah questioned.

" You remember the old stories about Ipswich? The one's about witchcraft and stuff?"

"Yeah," Leah said a little apprehensively, "And?"

Pogue made sure he was looking Leah right in the eyes. There was no going back now.

"They're all true."

Leah stared at Pogue for a few seconds before breathing deeply.

"All of them?"

Pogue nodded, looking cautious. He expected the realization to hit and the volcano to blow at any moment.

"All of them."

" Oh. Hm."

The Sons looked like they were standing on pins. Leah's "hm" was a little shriller than the normal register of her voice.

" 'Hm' what?" Reid asked.

" I just…I mean…_shit_…" Leah trailed off.

" Is that a bad 'shit?' Or a good---"

" I can't believe you're telling me this."

" Leah," Pogue tried to explain.

She took an unnaturally deep breath. "But scarily enough, I believe you. I believe what you're saying."

All of the boys stared incredulously at her. She hadn't even asked them to levitate something yet.

"It explains a lot, actually." Leah confessed. "Like why I thought your eyes were black, Pogue, the night we broke up."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"When we were arguing, I thought for a second your eyes were black. But when I blinked they were normal again. Why _were_ your eyes black? A spell? "

Reid practically choked on his own saliva at her suggestion.

"We're not cauldron-and-broomsticks witches," he explained. "Our eyes turn black when we Use."

Leah quirked a brow. "Use? You make it sound like a drug addiction."

The men suddenly looked away from her, solemn and hesitant to share the darker side of the secret. After a moment, Caleb inaudibly sighed and took on the task of telling her.

" It is, in a way," he responded. "The more we use, the more we age. We don't get a full dose of ours powers until we turn eighteen; we call it Ascending. If we use our powers too much, we could die prematurely."

Leah's eyes flickered away from them, her eyes meeting the floor. Saddened, her shoulders slumped under the weight of the news.

" Is that all?" she inquired quietly. "Or is there more? It…it seems like your magic is more of a gift than a curse."

"There's more," Pogue said seriously. "More that involves you."

Leah looked up at him then, nervous and curious. Just how many layers _were_ there to the Sons' secret?

"What do you mean?"

"The way the Power passes between the Sons of Ipswich is very specific. It hasn't changed in hundreds of years."

"So how does it pass?"

Pogue's lips thinned briefly as he summoned the strength to tell her the news. He had come to accept the inevitability of his bloodline, had become complacent of lay in his offspring's future. He had, after all, known nothing different. But it changed now as he looked at Leah's face. He knew that he would no longer think of the passing of the Power as simple fact; it would now carry a certain worry, a certain fear, that both his child and the mother of said child would not be able to handle the stresses of the Power. Pogue felt dread wash over him as he thought of Caleb's father and mother. Would James turn out to be as addicted? Would Leah eventually drown in the grief brought about by the consequences of the Power?

Mentally shaking himself, Pogue pushed his negative thoughts to the back of his mind. He had an obligation to Leah to tell her what would one day happen to their son.

" The Power passes to the first born son of each of the families. When he turns thirteen, he can tap into the magic."

Leah's eyes widened as she digested Pogue's words. The words' meaning ebbed into her understanding like spider's webs. She turned away from him, breathing deeply to compose herself. She prayed the Sons would give her a moment of silence, or respite from the revealing of the long-held secrets of everyone present.

It was all so clear to her now. The surreptitious nature in which the boys did things, the weird hierarchy of their friendship, the burden they all seemed to bear. She understood the distance there always seemed to be between her and them, the distance she realized they constructed to keep her out of the complicated nature of their heritage. But she wasn't kept out of it now. Her son was fated to exhibit the same magic, and that terrified her. Not because it would make him different, but because it would put his life at risk. He'd face the same possibility of addiction that plagued the other Sons. Leah shuddered; would she outlive her Son? The image of her attending his funeral invaded her mind, the picture of his twenty-year old body being buried in the ground looking like the corpse of an old man.

Leah closed her eyes to think, her mind quickly running over everything that she knew. The Sons possessed magical qualities that could eventually kill them. Not only that, but her son would one day face the same. Now that she had logically brought it forth in her mind, it could be evaluated.

To start off, the men in the room with her were her dearest friends and she therefore knew them with startling accuracy. She knew that though they could seem aloof, they were capable of doing what needed to be done when it was time to be serious. The matter of their Powers, being a life or death situation, was very serious, and she noted that her assessment of their character must be correct: none of them looked a day over their actual ages. They were keeping tight control over their Use. They were safe. Moving on to James…

It was unsettling that he would carry such a burden. However, the more she thought about it, the more Leah realized that the situation was not as horrid as it could be. James was an extremely bright child who would most likely grow up having the same level of intelligence and sense. Upon gaining his powers, he would take what he knew of them and use them wisely. He was a curious child, to be sure, but not a stupid one. It would only take once, if ever, of him experiencing the darker side of his Power to keep him from Using in excess. James, Leah realized, would be relatively safe. If Reid made it this far, James would.

"Okay," Leah said, turning around to face her friends. "I'm okay now."

Pogue searched her face quickly and desperately for truth.

"Yeah?"

Leah looked directly at him, determined. "Yeah. Things are what they are, and I know that when things get to a frightening point, we'll deal with it. That goes for everything…the situation with Liem included."

The men bristled at the mention of the man who was haunting their friend. Leah could feel their urge to say and do something about the issue, but cut them off at the pass.

"My stalker problem is a discussion for another day; I have to get back to rehearsal. We've probably been in here for longer than my allotted break time. I'll meet you guys backstage when I'm done?"

They all nodded their assent and the group collectively moved towards the door. Pogue, running a hand through his hair, hung back. He waited till his brothers left to gently grasp Leah's arm. When she looked questioningly at him, he quietly asked the question that'd been in his mind for a while.

"What are we going to do about James?"

Leah took a deep breath before smiling a tiny grin at him.

"He's _our_ son, Pogue. He needs both of us in his life. And I'm prepared to make adjustments so that can happen."

" You are?"

" Yes. And although there are things we're both going to have to sacrifice in order to make this work, that's okay." She drifted off for a second, eyes growing misty and distant before she looked at him again. "I'm glad you're the father of my child Pogue. And though we've made a rocky go of it so far, I think we'll be great parents…together."

"Yeah," Pogue intoned, gazing into her eyes with a small smile. "Together."


End file.
